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OCG Show Daily Tuesday, June 12, 2018 8 Two More Certified Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers for Klondike Cheese Company Klondike Cheese Company is proud to announce that two of its long-time cheese makers have earned Master Cheesemaker certifications, increasing the number of Masters at Klondike from four to six. Matt Erdley received his Masters certification in Brick and Muenster cheeses, and Ron Bechtolt received his Masters certification in Muenster and Havarti cheeses. They were two of seven gradates in this year's rigorous course of study that results in a prestigious title that only 72 cheese makers in the country can lay claim to. "Being a part of the program means being surrounded by gifted cheesemak- ers, getting recognition for the skills you have and pushing yourself," said Erdley. "When you're surrounded by people who care about their work, it becomes a part of your culture, and that's what we have in Wisconsin – and particularly at Klondike." Erdley married into the four- generation family business at Klondike Cheese and has been making cheese for nearly two decades. "To be able to use the Master seal is a sign of high quality cheese and it's an honor to be able to show what it means to be a Master," said Bechtolt. He has been working at Klondike Cheese Company for nearly 20 years, when he started his cheese making career. Erdley and Bechtolt join the honorable ranks with four other Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers at Klondike Cheese Company including Ron, Dave, Steve and Adam Buholzer. They received their certification awards at the International Cheese Technology Expo banquet on April 19, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Administered by the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR), the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker ® program is the only one of its kind in the United States. The program requires cheesemakers to be a Wisconsin licensed cheesemaker for a mini- mum of 10 years. Qualifying cheesemakers must also take several courses through the Center for Dairy Research, partic- ipate in quality checks and complete a detailed test that takes most participants around 60 hours to finish. The entire Master certifi- cation process generally takes three years, but in the end, the cheesemaker will receive the honor and respect that comes with this accomplishment as well as the right to use the Master Mark ® on his or her products. Visit Klondike Cheese Company at booth #1947 at the IDDBA 2018 Show. For more information, go to www.klondikecheese .com or call 608.325.3021. Formaggio Future By J.G. Riley, Vice President Media, Formaggio Brand Sometimes my job is rewarding for all the satisfying work I/we do or for all the ravenous foodies and fans we've made all around the world. But often, my satis- faction comes from listening to what Anthony Mongiello has in mind as our next step – the next phase, if you will. Here is a typical moment of visionary excitement that I am eager to put to paper. I asked Anthony about Formaggio Brand's future. "Anthony, what's the next thing for Formaggio Brand?" "The future for Formaggio Brand will be as it always has been: to set trends in the marketplace. To investigate what's happening, what's new and what's fresh. Then we do our best to bring it to our customers in a consumer-friendly prod- uct, in a package that lends itself to what's new and what's happening as well," he said. "There's a huge change in the appearance of Formaggio Brand prod- ucts. Talk about that," I responded. "Of course," he said. "Formaggio Brand is launching a brand new look. A look of transparency. As we all know, people buy with their eyes. Creating an eye-catching visual experience is some- thing we call salability. So the abil- ity to give people the products they want in a completely transparent package – where we hold nothing back – is what the future holds." He continued: "We will also continue to come up with value- added items, to take the best items in the categories, put them on our R&D table and figure out a way to make them better, then re-introduce them in the mar- ketplace, using all new state-of-the-art type packaging, such as a modified atmosphere package that is conveniently easy to open and is less packaging than before so we reduce waste." I pointed out that, "Formaggio has nearly always had meat and cheese prod- ucts in addition to just cheese, but I'm seeing more meat with cheese these days in the Formaggio Brand offerings." "Yes," he said. "At Formaggio, it's about exploiting one of the things we do best: creating antipastos. In the future, Formaggio Brand will be introducing an entire line of our own style of antipastos. But as always, our endeavor is to create new ways for peo- ple to enjoy the items they love the most in convenient and creative pack- aging, combining the best flavor pro- files imaginable." To find out more about Formaggio Brand, visit Anthony Mongiello and the Formaggio Brand team at booth #5807. Bred with a Brooklyn Accent Is it any surprise that one of the hottest baby names is "Brooklyn"? Yes, these days Brooklyn is the name to be, the place to be, and for those with guts, the way to be. Damascus Bakeries is all of the above. Since 1930, this third-generation family-owned bakery has planted its roots in Brooklyn and baked award-win- ning pitas, lavash and flatbreads, first for its own community, and now for many others. Like many proud parents, Damascus Bakeries has chosen the name "Brooklyn" for its newest baby, Brooklyn Bred ® Bistro Breads, a truly artisanal, naturally fermented line of spe- cialty and innovative flatbreads. "We've been 'Bred in Brooklyn since 1930,' so the name Brooklyn Bred was a natural for us," said David Mafoud, Principal and third-generation Baker. "First out of our ovens have been our award-winning Pizza Crusts, formulated with specialty "00" pizza flour and olive oil; fermented extensively in a controlled environment for an authentic texture and more pronounced flavor." Adds Mafoud, "Pizza is all about the bite, and in Brooklyn, that could be the difference between life and death. Okay, I'm exag- gerating – a bit! But, without exception, in Brooklyn, the success of every great pizza starts and finishes with its crust." "In 2017, we introduced our thinner Neapolitan Crusts, formulated for an even crispier bite; sized smaller for single serve. They are delicious," continues Mafoud. "Perfect with Parmesan, pesto and prosciutto. We are receiving many emails from fans who applaud us for cre- ating a crust so tender in bite, and so low in calories. Our Brooklyn Bred Pizza Crusts now sell in 5,000-plus stores, and growing, and in the majority of those stores we are number-one in pizza crust sales!" "In addition to our Pizza Crusts, our Brooklyn Bred Bistro Buns continue to be a favorite amongst foodies. They are delicious, too," says Mafoud. "Naturally fermented and outspoken on the outside, soft and savory inside, just like a real Brooklynite. All of us love a well- bred sandwich, and the first bite into that sandwich starts with an equally well-bred loaf of bread!" For service deli options, these square-shaped Bistro Buns (offered in Country Potato, Sprouted Grains, or Olive Oil & Sea Salt) can be customized to your preferred thickness and size, including the slider size, or the 20-inch long, pre-perforated party size, which are also ideal for commissaries looking to make finger sandwiches with the least effort and time. What's next? "For sure, something else. By autumn, we will open our third bakery, which will house a flat- bread line like no other. There may be no breads left to invent, but there are many to re-invent," says Mafoud. Keep an eye out for some new Brooklyn Bred winners, which will be revealed to market by springtime 2019. "Breads are part of everyone's dialog these days, and we are all about the BRED. For almost a century we have been rolling up our sleeves, going back to the basics, and creating fresh, outspo- ken and edgy breads that will speak out to all – preferably with a Brooklyn accent!" For more information, visit booth #2940 at the IDDBA 2018 Show, go to www.damascusbakery.com or www.brooklynbred.com, or contact David Mafoud at dm@damascusbakery.com. Sheep Milk Cheese from Savello Savello di Roma has perfected this 2,000-year-old traditional 100 percent sheep milk cheese with its distinctive aroma and a slightly sharp but mild taste that has improved immensely with time. It is cured with salt and aged more than 60 days in natural grottos on beech wood boards. It is white or slightly yellow in color with a smooth and even rind. Each wheel weighs in at approximately six pounds. The sheep milk used to make this cheese is produced from Mediterranean sheep that originate from ancient and tra- ditional stock with no genet- ic alteration. These sheep live in the open air and graze on rich pasture that varies from season to season. The Roman countryside's pas- tures produce rich, diverse and tasty milk that makes these sheep much healthier. The production process uses both tradi- tional techniques of centuries ago as well as modern technol- ogy to make Savello Cheese an important part of a nutritionally well balanced diet. For more information, contact Savello USA at 570.822.9743 or info@savellousa.com, or go to www.savellousa.com.